Excerpt from "Ed Monk and the Tradition of Classic Boats":

Many of the designs that came out of the Monk Office during the late 1960s and early 1970s were drawn by Ed Monk Jr. One of these was Topaz, modelled on the traditional lines of Puget Pride, an earlier design. Built for Jim and Sandy Howell of Bainbridge Island, Topaz was launched from the McQueen yard in 1971. In 1979 Topaz was bought by Ken and Donna Shields and kept at the Queen City Yacht Club [Seattle].  Previously, Ken and Donna had owned and restored Ann Saunders, Monk's first boat.

The interior of Topaz had a bright, clean austerity characteristic of Monk designs. Rounded corners, bras handholds, and oiled mahogany panelling were reminders that even though the owners lived aboard, this was a cruising boat.  From the stern, a transom door led into a partially covered cockpit well suited to a rainly climate.  The main living area was in the aft cabin, with generous seating, low tables, and a U-shaped galley with an oil stove on the starboard side.  Two passageways led off from the  port side: four steps down to the lower level, and four steps up to the pilothouse with the navigation and steering station, and a built-in dinette with excellent visibility.  Forward, stairs curved down to the guest cabin and head with shower; the master stateroom with its queen-size, walk-around bed, was below the pilothouse.

The hull on Topaz was maintained so perfectly, it appeared to be illuminated from within.  The owners discovered that such a finely finished vessel had a magnetic draw: a large sailboat dragging anchor in a midnight south-easter left a deep gouge along the bulwarks; a raft of poorly anchored power boats swung against one side of Topaz, then the other side; and a 27-foot runabout attempting a high speed turn in tight quarters drove up onto their swim grid. smashing the monogrammed teak stern.  Fortunately, these and other incidents did not deter them from leaving the dock, and they spent many summers cruising the northwest.